Trestle.



No.860,943. 'PATENTED JULY23,1907.

' J. c. sooeems.

TRESTLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. 1906.

A TTORNE VS UNITED STATES JESSE C. SOOGGINS, OF WICHITA, KANSAS.

TRESTLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed November 16,1906. Serial 343,755-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jesse O. ScooGINs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Trestle, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a lifting trestle or adjustable horse adaptedfor a variety of uses where relatively heavy objects are desired to belifted and supported in an elevated position, and is of special utilityto wheel- Wrights for lifting vehicle bodies from their running gears orfor lifting the running gears to facilitate the inspection, repair, orrenewal of any of the parts.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify theconstruction and operation of devices of this character so asto becomparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate,and thoroughly reliable and efiicient in use.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple means forvertically adjusting the lifting element of the device to any desiredheight for placing it into operative relation with the object to belifted, after which the object can be lifted by the jack or liftingmechanism to the height desired.

Another object is to provide a simple and substantial bracket for firmlyconnecting the legs on the supporting frame and the cross member ormembers so that loose ness and play between the parts incident to usewill be prevented.

With these objects in view, and others, as will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the invention comprises the variousnovel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will bemore fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in theclaims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments ofthe invention, Figure l is a front elevation of the trestle withportions of the front legs broken away and the lifting dogs partly insection. Fig. 2 is an end view of the device showing portions brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the brackets for connectionwith the legs of the trestle and the'cross pieces.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the supporting frame of thetrestle and B the lifting element thereof. The frame A comprises a pairof oppositely inclined legs 1 at each end and one or more cross members2 to which the upper ends of the legs 1 are rigidly secured. In securingthe legs to the cross pieces, a U-shaped bracket 3 is employed. Thisbracket, which may be formed by stamping, casting, or in any othersuitable manner, is provided with transversely extending flanges 4 alongthe vertical edges of the upright and bottom portions 5 and 6. ing thebracket, these flanges 4 serve to form sockets on the outside of thevertical portions 5 in which the upper ends of the legs 1 are snuglyfitted. As shown by dotted lines at 7, Fig. 2, the upper extremities ofthe legs are cut off at an angle to their length so as to fit theoutside of the vertical portions 5 of the brackets. The cross piece orpieces 2 are arranged between the vertical portions 5 of the brackets,and the parts are secured together by bolts 8 which extend through eachcross piece 2, the adjacent vertical portions 5 of the bracket, and theleg on the outside thereof. By this means, the legs are prevented fromworking loose under the severe strains brought to bear upon the trestleby continued use. The cross pieces in the present instance are spacedapart so as to accommodate between them the vertically movable liftingelements B.

The lifting element comprises a beam 9 which is of practically the samelength as the cross pieces and is supported at its ends on verticallyextending gripping rods 10. These gripping rods are pivotally connectedat their upper ends to the beam and extend through openings in thebrackets 3, one of which openings is shown at 11, Fig. 3. Secured to theunderside of each bracket is a guide frame 12 having an eye 13 throughwhich the adjacent gripping rod 4 is vertically guided. These frames areformed with horizontally extending flanges 14 whereby they are rivetedto the underside of the brackets.

In the present instance, power is applied to only one end of the beam,for the purpose of'raising an object. For this purpose, a pair ofcoacting dogs 15 and 16 are arranged to engage one of the gripping rodsso as to move the latter vertically by a step by step movement. The dog15 is pivoted at 17 on the adjacent guide frame 12. The dog 16 isdisposed below the dog 15 and is pivoted at 18 on the end of theoperating lever 19. The dogs are provided with openings 20 which arebored atan angle to their length so that diagonally disposed bitingedges 21 are formed for taking hold of the gripping rod extendingthrough the openings. The lever 19 is adjustably fulcrumed on the arm 22depending from one of the cross pieces of the frame A. The dog 16 beingattached to the operating lever is the active dog and causes thegripping rods to move up one step at a time for every time the operatinglever is depressed. The holdback dog 15 engages the gripping rod duringthe recovering stroke of the lever, so that the lifting beam 9 will beelevated by the cooperation of the two dogs.

In order to relieve the operator from the necessity of lifting thelever, an extension spring 23 is arranged between the frame A and thelever, so that as the latter is depressed, the spring is energized torecover the lever on the succeeding stroke. The free end of the Besidesconsiderably reinforcoperating lever 19, which latter extendslongitudinally of the frame A below the.cross pieces thereof, projectsbeyond one end of the frame so as to be conveniently operated by theattendant.

The gripping rod 10 located at the end of the frame nearest the handleof the operating lever, is engaged by only one dog. This dog, 24, ispivoted on the guide frame 12 for the adjacent gripping rod and isdesigned for the purpose of permitting the one end of the beam 9 to beelevated by hand to any desired height. In thus adjusting the beam, thefree end of the dog 24 is raised to such a position as to disengage thebiting edges 25 from the gripping rod. While this is done With one hand,the beam 9 is lifted by the other. When the desired height is reached,the dog 24 is released so as to bite on the gripping rod and hold thebeam in fixed position. I

In order to adjust the opposite end of the beam by hand, so as to placethe beam in close proximity to an object to be lifted, the operatorlifts the dog 16 with one hand until its outer end abuts the dog 15,when both of the dogs are raised sufficiently to release the grippingrod. The beam is then lifted to the required height, whereupon the dogsare both released. Now, to raise an object by power, the operating lever19 is operated so that the one end of the beam is swung upwardly step bystep.

In order to permit the beam to drop, all that is necessary is to liftthe outer ends of the dogs sufficiently to permit the gripping rods toslip gradually through the openings of the dogs.

On the beam 9 is provided a standard 26 firmly secured at its lower endand provided with an adjustable rest 27. This rest serves to enable thetrestle to be adjusted to the body of a vehicle, so that the latter canbe lifted from the running gears. For this purpose, the trestle isarranged so that the rest will engage under the body at a suitable pointto cause the body to be raised by the actuation of the lever 19.

I have described the principle of operation of the invention, togetherwith the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodimentthereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown ismerely illustrative, and that various changes may be made, when desired,as are within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of asupporting'frame comprising a pair of spaced horizon tally extendingmembers, legs at the ends of the members, and means securing the logs tothe members, with a vertically movable member on the stand and arrangedbetween the said horizontally extending members of the latter, andindependently operated devices on the supporting frame and connectedwith the said movable member adjacent the ends thereof for actuating thelatter.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingframe, with a lifting element mounted thereon to swing about one end, astep by step mechanism mounted on the frame for lifting one end of theelement, and a spring actuated lever for operating the said mechanism.

In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingframe, with a lifting element movably mounted thereon, means at one endof the frame for manually lifting the element, and means at the oppositeend for lifting the element, said means including a power multiplyingdevice.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingframe, with a liftingelement, gripping rods pivotally connected with anddepending from the element adjacent the ends thereof, a single dogmounted on the frame for one of the rods, a pair of coacting dogs on theframe for the other red, and a means for actuating the pair of dogs.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingframe, with a lifting element, vertically movable gripping rods adjacentthe ends of the frame, means connecting the rods witlrthe element, dogsmounted on the frame and cooperating with the rods to hold the element.an operating lever mounted on the frame, and a dog pivoted thereon forengaging one of the rods to raise the element.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingframe comprising a pair of spaced members, with a lifting beam movablebetween the members, a vertically movable rod at each end of the beamand disposed between the members, guiding means on the frame "for therods. a pair of dogs engaging one of the rods, a lever extendinglongitudinally under the members of the frame, a pivotal connectionbetween the lever and one of the dogs, a spring for moving the lever inone direction, and means engaging the other rod for adjusting the heightof the beam.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingframe comprising a pair of cross pieces, legs at the ends of the crosspieces, brackets connecting the cross pieces and legs and provided eachwith an opening, and bolts for securing the cross pieces and legs to thebrackets, with a lifting beam, gripping rods connected at their upperends to the beam and extending through the openings of the brackets,guide frames on the brackets for the said rods, a dog pivoted on eachguide frame, a lever adjustably mounted on one of the cross pieces andextending with its long arm beyond one end of the frame, a dog pivotedto the short arm of the lever and engaging one of the rods, and a springbetween the lever and frame for moving the former in one direction.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingframe, with a lifting element movably mounted thereon, an upright on theelement, an adjustable rest on the upright, and a mechanism for raisingthe element.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JESSE C. SCOGGINS.

Witnesses .IAS. W. SNYDER, THOMAS BOLING.

